Interlocking device



June 1936. s LlTTLEFlELD 7 2,043,440

INTERLOCKING DEVICE Filed Aug. 1'7, 1934 INVENTOR. nry 5 -L////ef1e/dPatented June 9, 1936 I STATES: 'ENLT' 016E 2,043,440INT-ERLOCKINGr-DEVIGE Henry S2 Littlefield; San'BernardinmGalif;Application-August 17, 1934, Serial No. 740,262

7' Claims; (C11 '72-'--19) Intheconstruction of new'buildings and inremodeling present structures: there is a growing tendency to employfiber. boardi either. in theform of. sheets or'ast-ile; largely becauseof its thermal insulating value, its acoustical quality; and be cause ofthe harmonious decorative eiiects that can be obtained.

Ordinarily in laying up fiber board or tile, it is customary to securethe fiber material to its support by driving nails through. the fiberand into the studding or otherimmediate support of the fiberboard ortile. It will be obvious even to the uninitiated that nails driventhrough the tile are not satisfactory for the reason that the surface ofthe tile or fiber board will show a great number ofinail head holes inwhich the heads of the nails are seated, even though such nail heads arenot visible.

further disadvantage in the use of nails is represented in' the factthat a-nail head doesnot provide sufficient grip to properly support thefiber tile, especially in ceiling installation. where the weight of'thetile directly'rests upon the nail head 7 which condition is 'very apt tocause it to sag.

Therefore, a prime object of the present invention is to provide aconcealed interlocking device that will firmly secure fiber tile inposition, whether to a wallor to a ceiling, without visible use of nailsor other devices that mar the finished surface.

A further object of the invention is to provide an air and/or dust proofjoint and/or binder that is stronger, yet more extant.

Another object of the invention is to provide a joint or interlockingdevice that tends to better align the Wall material, thereby adding tothe grace and symmetry that goes with harmonious construction.

Another object is the provision of a joint that is adapted to completelyencircle the material being layed' up; thereby giving rigidity andstrength tothe' resulting structure.

A further object of the invention is to provide r aninterlocking devicethat readily adapts itself to flexible-than any hereto-fore 1 Figure 4%is -a sectional elevation showing a series of fiber tile joined togetherand-secured to awall by, means of the devicerof this invention.

Figure '5 isafigure partly in section illustrating the method employed:to interlock or dead-end other members of: the device when'used as aframe: to support tile, as illustratedzin the pattern shown inFigure 6'.

Figured is-an elevation of a fragment of a wall illustrating onemethodof laying up fiber tile and the use of the device of thisinvention as a; supporting; medium.

Thereference character lit-indicates the device. ofthlSilIlVGHtiOIlWhlCh'iS quite; clearly illustrated in Figures 1', 4-,.and 5.

The device, as shown in" Figure. 1 is made" of sheet. metal; preferablysheet steel, andis' formed Withtfif: top M- havinga continuous apex' andwhich is bent. downwardly along. its-'medial: vertical: center, l3satanaipproxim'ate angle of 1'1 degrees-from thehorizontal'. Depending uponthe duty whichthe device is to perform the top H may. extend V4 inchmore or." less toi the sidesroft the medial vertical center 13, afterwhich the top H is bent sharply at l 4' to form apexedsides l5 whichextend inwardly and downwardly, being substantially at an' angle. of 45.degrees. from the medial vertical plane.

The sides l5. continueinwardly and downwardly and then are again bent atI! to form parallel, spaced legs l'il'which are bent outwardly at 21' atright angles to" the legs l9 toform base members 23 The interlockingdevice lll cooperates with, and in combination with the fiber tile 25;forms a unit, in which the interlocking device forms the male connector,while grooves 21 formed in the-edges ofethe tile form the femaleadaptor.

Each ofthe interlocking devices Iilhas two continuous apices which aredelineated by the slope of the top-II, and sides I5. The apex of thesides is the bend M and is adapted to fit snugly on the bottom of thegroove2'l'.

The tile 25 customarily are formed with bevel edges 39 to moreeffectively conceal the edges 32 thatabut one another when placed inposition, as well as to provide ornamentation, the general scheme ofwhich is illustrated'in Figure 6.

The edges 35 of each of the tile 25 are cut in avertical plane to fitagainst the legs 19 of the interlocking device, this construction hasbeen adopted in order to eliminate an otherwise sharp point resultingfrom 'the intersection of the side" 31 ofthe' tile and the surface' 39of the groove 21, the-general efiect of which is to prevent constantbreaking of an otherwise feathered'edge, and-to al'soadd'strength tothe-joint as shown in Figures4and5-.'

appli'catiom of the invention herein disclosed, reference will first bemade to Figure 6 wherein the reference character 4| indicates the floorof a room, the walls of which are to be covered with fiber tile, and 43is the conventional base board, and 45 the studding of the walls.

To apply the invention, the interlocking device is nailed to thestudding 45 by the use of nails 41 which have been inserted throughholes 48 formed in the top H. The head of the nail lies substantiallyparallel with the top II which necessitates driving the nail at an anglewhereby the under side of the nail will lie against one of the legs I9holding it firmly in position while the opposite side of the nail holdsthe opposite leg I9 in position so that neither the base members 23 northe continuous apexed side l5 will be displaced when the first row oftile 49 is layed in position as shown in Figures 4 and 6.

As soon as the first row 49 of tile is layed up, a second strip of thedevice I0 is placed in position, as shown at 50, and is then nailed inposition. This operation is continued until the wall or any portion ofit is covered.

If, in place of parallel, matched joint tile, a more ornamental patternis selected, and it is desired to interlock the butt joint contacts 52,it is only necessary to out the ends of the intersecting member at anangle of approximately 45 degrees, so that the end will slide snuglyunder the side l5 and above the surface 56 of the base member 23 asshown in Figure 5, wherein 5'! is the intersecting member.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the construction herein setforth, while exceedingiy simple, nevertheless, provides an efficienttie, that is readily applied, yet is firm and positive without beingobtrusive inasmuch as it is completely sealed from sight.

While I have herein described the preferred form of my invention, I wishit known that I claim all such variations of construction andinnovations of character as clearly fall within the scope of theinvention herein set forth, and that- I claim:

1. An interlocking device with a top, said top having a continuous apexand downwardly and outwardly inclined members, and sides, said sidesterminating in a continuous apex and comprising said top members anddownwardly and inwardly inclined members terminating in parallel legs,flanged base members, said base members being at right angles to saidlegs, and means in said top for the insertion of fastening means.

2. An interlocking device with a top, said top having a continuous apexand downwardly and outwardly inclined members, and sides, said sidesterminating in a continuous apex and comprising said top members anddownwardly and inwardly inclined members terminating in parallel legs,flanged base members, said base members being at right angles to saidlegs and means in said interlocking device to engage the ends of theother of said interlocking devices at an angle to said firstinterlocking device to effect a rigid interlocked connection, said meansbeing the normal configuration of said interlocking device and theformed end of the intersecting member.

3. In combination with surfacing material, an interlocking device, anupper surface in said interlocking device, said upper surface having acontinuous apex and having downwardly and outwardly inclined members,and sides, said sides terminating in a second continuous apex, saidsecond continuous apex being formed by said upper surface members andsaid downwardly and inwardly inclined members terminating in parallellegs, base members, said base members being at right angles to saidlegs, grooves in said tile, said grooves and said continuous apex beingadapted to nest, and fastening means, said fastening means being adaptedto cause said grooves to snugly engage said continuous apex.

4. An interlocking device with a top, said top having a continuous apexand downwardly and outwardly inclined members, and sides, said sidesterminating in a continuous apex and comprising said top members anddownwardly and inwardly inclined members terminating in parallel legs,flanged base members, said base members being at right angles to saidlegs and means in said interlocking device to engage the ends of otherof said interlocking devices at an angle to said first interlockingdevice to effect a rigid interlocked connection, said means comprisingthe angle formed by said downwardly and inwardly inclined members withrespect to said base members and a formed complementary angle in saidintersecting member.

5. In combination with surfacing material, an interlocking device, anupper surface in said interlocking device, said upper surface having acontinuous apex and having downwardly and outwardly inclined members,and sides, said sides terminating in a set of continuous apices, saidset of continuous apices being formed by said upper surface members andsaid downwardly and inwardly inclined members terminating in parallellegs, base members, said base members being at right angles to saidlegs, grooves in said surfacing material, said grooves and saidcontinuous apices being adapted to nest when a plurality of sections ofsaid surfacing material are abutted.

6. In combination with surfacing material, an interlocking device, anupper surface in said interlocking device, said upper surface having acontinuous apex and having downwardly and outwardly inclined members,and sides, said sides terminating in a set of continuous apices, saidset of continuous apices being formed by said upper surface members andsaid downwardly and inwardly inclined members terminating in parallellegs, base members, said base members being at right angles to saidlegs, grooves in said surfacing material, said grooves and saidcontinuous apices being adapted to nest when a plurality of sections ofsaid surfacing material are abutted, and fastening means, said fasteningmeans being adapted to cause said grooves to be snugly engaged by saidcontinuous apices.

7. In combination with surfacing material, an interlocking device, anupper surface in said interlocking device, said upper surface having acontinuous apex and having downwardly and outwardly inclined members,and sides, said sides terminating in a set of continuous apices, saidset of continuous apices being formed by said upper surface members andsaid downwardly and inwardly inclined members terminating in parallellegs, base members, said base members being at right angles to saidlegs, grooves in said surfacing material, said grooves and saidcontinuous apices being adapted to nest when a plurality of sections ofsaid surfacing material are abutted, and fastening means, said fasteningmeans causing the base members of said interlocking device to spreadlaterally to effect a more intimate association of said continuousapices and. said grooves.

HENRY S. LITTLEFIELD.

